Container closure



- June 15 1926.

H. H. M GEE CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed July '5, 1923 INVENTOR Harm/70 fi ff ATT BNEY Patented June 15, 1926.

UNITED STATES HOWARD H. McGEE,

or NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONTAIN ER CLOSURE.

Application filed July 5,

This invention relates to container closures and has for its primary object to provide an improved fluid-tight closure for water bags, air pillows and other receptacles or containers formed of sheet rubber or similar flexible material.

It is another object of the invention to provide a closure for such receptacles or containers which remains at all times in permanent connection with the container thereby obviating the possibility of its loss.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, I dispense with the usual threaded sheet metal bushing or sleeve secured in the neck portion of the receptacle to receive the stopper or closure. An important feature of the present improvements resides in the provision of an internal metal grommet which may be quickly and securely fixed in position by means of suitable dies simultaneously with the formation of an internal head on the neck wall of the receptacle around a reinforcing ring or annulus.

A second characteristic feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a soft rubber plug or closure of tapering form provided with a circumferential spiral groove to coact with the metal grommet so that by rotation in one direction, the closure plug moves outwardly through said grommet, the larger end thereof bearing with increasing frictional pressure against the metal grommet and causing a compression of the relatively soft rubber, thus effecting an absolutely fluid-tight closure of the neck opening of the receptacle.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a receptacle or container closure of the above character permanently associated with said container, and which is so constructed that when in its open position it will permit of the free flow of water or other fluid into the receptacle.

With the above and other objects in view,

' the invention consists in the improved container closure and in the form, construction and relative arrangement of the several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawing wherein I have disclosed several simple and practical embodiments of the invention and in which similar refer- 1923. Serial No. 649,426.

ence characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating the sheet metal grommet and neck reinforcmg means for the container before their final assemblage;

F1gure 2 is a similar view snowing the grommet in its final fixed position upon the remforcing bead formed on the neck wall of the container, and one form of the rubber stopper or closure plug which coacts therewith;

v Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail longitudinal section through the rubber closure plug taken on the line 44.of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a slightly modified form of the closure plug and,

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view of the closure shown in Figure 5.

In the manufacture of rubber water bottles and similar receptacles, the metal stopper or closure plug and the threaded metal sleeve or bushing fixed in the neck portion of the bottle or container constitute the major item of expense, the manufacturing and material cost of the rubber body of the container being comparatively small. Also, in the event of loss of the metal closure plug or stopper by the purchaser the cost of its replacement is an added item of expense. I propose by means of my present invention to provide a closure means for said receptacles or containers which will not only materially reduce the expense of production and initial cost to the purchaser but which will also obviate all possibility of the loss of the stopper or closure plug.

In the drawing, for purposes of illustration, I have shown my present improvements applied in connection with a conventional form of water bag or container, in so far as external appearances are concerned, though it will be clearly apparent from the following disclosures that my improvements are applicable as well to containers or receptacles formed of sheet rubber or other composition material which may be employed for many different purposes. Therefore, without implying any limitations as to form, size and shape, I have shown the container or receptacle as having a body 5 constructed of sheet rubber or other flexible or elastic composition material. At one end this container body is formed with a relatively contracted neck portion (5 merging into the flaring conically shaped mouth Wall 7. As herein shown, I provide the wall of the neck portion 6 of the container with an external circumferential groove or channel 8, the urpose of which will be presently explained As shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, within the neck 6 I arrange a sheet metal grommet 9 having a tubular portion which is initially positioned to extend upwardly through the the neck and a flange 10 at one end of said tubular portion to engage the lower side of the neck wall. In the circumferential groove or channel 8 a metal reinforcing ring 11 is then positioned. A sheet metal annulus or washer plate 12 is arranged above the grommet 9 to engage at its outer edge upon the flaring wall above the groove 8 therein. By means of suitable dies, pressure is now applied to the grommet 9 and the annulus 12; the rubber of the neck portion 6 of the container body is closely compressed around the reinforcing ring 11 by said washer plate or annulus and the flange 10 of the grommet which acts to mould or form the rubber around said reinforcing ring and thereby completely closes the outer side of the groove 8. In this operation the end of the grommet sleeve is split at spaced points and bent outwardly over the inner edge of the washer or annulus 12 as indicated at 13, thus securely locking the washer plate in place. In this manner, as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing, there is formed an internal reinforced bead in the neck portion 6 of the container or receptacle and upon this bead the sheet metal grommet is firmly secured in place.

Before forming the reinforced internal bead on the neck of the container the closure plug or stopper 14 is placed within the body of the container. In one embodiment of my invention this closure plug is made of soft rubber and is of a general cylindrical, tapering or conical form, the larger end 15 of the closure plug being of greater diameter than the diameter of the grommet 9. The tapering body portion of the closure plug has a peripheral thread groove 16 formed therein, said groove extending around the plug at an oblique inclination. At its smaller end the closure plug is formed with a flat neck portion 17 substantially of T shape form providing opposite lateral ex tensions 18. The maximum width of this T shaped head is greater than the diameter of the grommet 9 so that when the plug or stopper is unthreaded from said grommet, the extensions 18 will contact with the latter, thus limiting the inward movement of the stopper or plug as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawing. It will be apparent that with the stopper or plug in this position, water or other fluid may easily flow around the T shaped head of the stopper and into the container or receptacle.

After the reinforced neck bead has been formed, the soft rubber stopper may be temporarily distortedunder pressure so as to work the T shaped head at the smaller end thereof through the neck opening. After this head portion returns to its normal condition, it will operate to prevent the stopper from dropping by gravity through the neck into the container as above explained.

After the container or receptacle has been filled with'the water or other fluid, the user lifts the stopper or plu and simultaneously rotates the same. As t e groove or channel 16 co-operating with the met-a1 grommet 9, gradually forces the larger end of the stopper 14 within said metal grommet, the soft rubber of the stopper is placed under a gradually increasing pressure so that when it is brought to its final position as seen in Figure 2, said rubber stopper coacting with the metal grommet provides an effective fluid-tight closure for the container. It will be appreciated that by forming this stopper or closure plug completely of rubber and using the sheet metal grommet in lieu of the threaded sleeve or bushing heretofore provided, I have greatly simplified the construction and very materially reduced manufacturing cost. At the same time the rubber plug eliminates frictional wear and possible leakage incident thereto.

In Figures 5 and 6 of the drawing I have shown an alternative embodiment of the device Which ermits of the application or insertion of the closure plug or stopper from the exterior of the container, after the reinforced bead has been formed upon the neck portion of the container. In this construction, .the soft rubber plug which is of the same form and co-operates with the neck bead in the same manner as above explained, is provided in its lower portion with a cone shaped chamber or. cavity 19, thus providing at the larger end of the plug, a wall 20 which may be collapsed or forced inwardly in order to sufliciently compress the rubber so that the rubber stopper may be inserted through the neck opening of the container. The chamber 19 at its base or larger end is constricted by an annular bead or shoulder 21 formed upon the wall 20.

Before inserting the closure plug or stopper, a hardrubber cone 22 is placed within the container. After the stopper or plug has been inserted and engaged with the neck grommet, the hard rubber cone 22 is worked into the chamber or cavity 19 until the flange or shoulder 21 engages over the end face of said cone. Thus the wall 20 of the chamber 19 is supported against collapse or inward budding so that it is impossible to again completely withdraw the plug or stopper.

From the foregoing description considcred in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction and several advantages of the illustrated embodiments of the invention will be clearly understood. It will be manifest that by means of my present improvements, I have succeeded in materially reducing the manufacturing cost of closures of this type. In fact, it is thought that by reason of such improvements, the selling price to the purchaser in comparison with the price of such articles now upon the market, may be decreased and yet afford a greater margin of profit to the manufacturer. At the same time, the container or receptacle closure will be permanently effective as a fluid tight seal.

\Vhile I have found the invention as herein disclosed to be highly satisfactory in practical use, it will nevertheless be understood that substantially similar results might be obtained in other alternative constructions and I therefore, reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes in the form, proportion and relative arrangement of the several parts as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In combination with a container havinga filling opening, a closure member adapted to be positioned through said opening and provided with a portion to coact with the wall of said opening when the closure is moved in one direction therethrough to provide a fluid-tight seal for the container, said. closure member having a pocket therein, and an expanding member adapted to be inserted into said pocket after the closure member is positioned through said opening so as to permanently maintain the closure member through said opening.

2. In combination with a container havin g a filling opening and an internal bead on the wall thereof, a closure plug for said opening having threaded connection with said head, said closure at one of its ends being provided with means limiting inward movement of the closure through said opening and permitting of egress of the contents of the container therethrough, and said closure at its other end being provided with means limiting the outward unthreading movement of the closure through said opening and said end of the closure cooperating with the bead at the limit of its movement in the latter direction to effect a substantially air and water tight seal of said filling opening.

3. In combination with a container having a filling opening provided with an internal bead on the wall thereof, a compressible soft rubber closure plug of tapering form permanently positioned through said opening and having an inclined groove in its periphery to coact with said bead whereby when said plug is rotated and axially moved in one direction, the material thereof is compressed by the bead to effect a fluidtight seal of the openin said closure at its smaller end being provic ied with stop means to engage the bead and suspend the closure in a pendant position permitting of the fill ing of the container.

4. A container having a body formed of flexible sheet material and provided with a contracted neck portion, a reinforcing bead ring surrounding said neck portion of the container, a sheet metal grommet extending through the neck of the container and havin a flange on one end, a sheet metal annu us, the other. end of the grommet being clinched upon said annulus to compress the neck wall of the container around the bead ring between the grommet flange and said annulus, and a closure for the container adapted to frictionally coact with said grommet and providing a fluid tight seal for the container.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereunder.

HOWARD H. McGEE. 

